Say Goodbye To Dallas’ Trinity River Standing Wave

DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) – After much fanfare about the Standing Wave, which turned a small portion of the Trinity River into a mini white water rapids, the feature is coming to a crashing end.

The project was approved before Bobby Abtahi became President of the Dallas Park and Recreation Board. Abtahi said, “Some folks in the past thought this was a good idea. Unfortunately, it didn’t quite pan out.”

Standing Wave removal (Jack Fink – CBS11)

Crews began removing the Standing Wave Thursday afternoon after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers previously told the city it couldn’t keep it as is.

The Corps, which oversees the Trinity River, was concerned large debris could get stuck in the rapids, disrupt the water flow, and potentially cause flooding.

The feds also said the river had to be navigable both ways — something the feature prevents.

“I’ve seen plenty of kayakers enjoying the feature. The issue became you need to per the rules, you need to be able to navigate up and down stream,” said Abtahi.

While the city got a permit from the Corp to build a recreational feature, the end result wasn’t permitted.

The Corps gave the city three options, and the city chose the least expensive.

It will cost $2 million to remove it — on top of the $4 million spent to build it.

“They’re going to take it down to the river bed so you’ll still see the rocks on the sides, but you won’t see this wave effect,” said Abtahi.

The project should be completed by the end of November, and until then, the city says the Santa Fe Trestle Trail will be closed, and boaters won’t have access to this part of the river.

While there has been talk in Dallas City Hall the city might take legal action against the firms that designed and built the Standing Wave, the city has not filed any lawsuits just yet.